PREVALENCE OF SEVERE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES AND FEEDING PRACTICES IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN IKSAN CITY

You, Rae-Kwan; Lee, Kwang-Hee; Ra, Ji-Young; Lee, Dong-Jin

Journal of the Korean Academy of Pediatric Dentistry 2007;34(3):383-389.
Published online August 31, 2007.

PREVALENCE OF SEVERE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES AND FEEDING PRACTICES IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN IKSAN CITY

Rae-Kwan You, Kwang-Hee Lee, Ji-Young Ra, Dong-Jin Lee

Department of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Wonkwang University

익산시 취학 전 어린이의 중증 유아기 우식증 유병률과 섭식습관

유래관, 이광희, 라지영, 이동진

원광대학교 치과대학 소아치과학교실

Correspondence: Kwang-Hee Lee, Tel: 063-859-2955, Email: kwhlee@wonkwang.ac.kr

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of severe early childhood caries and feeding pratices in preschool children. The subjects of study were six hundred and seventy-two preschool children in Iksan city. Severe early childhood caries(S-ECC) was defined as the presence of one or more cavitated, missing due to caries, or filled smooth surfaces in primary maxillary anterior teeth. The caregivers of children were given a questionnaire including age, gender, birthweight, and feeding practices. The prevalence of S-ECC was 34.5%. The prevalence was significantly higher when there were the habit of sleeping while feeding, the habit of feeding sour or sweet content in the bottle, and the habit of using the pacifier. Birth weight, breast-feeding, bottle-feeding, and the sippy cup habit showed no significant association with the prevalence of S-ECC. There were significant positive associations between breast-feeding and sleeping while feeding, between bottle-feeding and the pacifier, between sleeping while feeding and sour or sweet content in the bottle, between sleeping while feeding and the sippy cup, between sleeping while feeding and the pacifier, and between the sippy cup and the pacifier. There were significant negative associations between breast-feeding and the pacifier.

Key Words: Early childhood caries(ECC), Feeding practice, Caries prevalence